Dementia in the Elderly
Case Scenario One
The diagnostic tests for the 75-year-old female will be based on the assessment of the short-memory loss, forgetting of appointments and constant repetition of information. A doctor or nurse should seek special arrangements for the diagnosis test. The 75-year-old female could not have English as a first language. The language state increases the need of a nurse who can easily communicate with the patient. The nurse or the healthcare employee will be required to assess the patient’s mental status and ability to follow instructions. The assessment will be based on the assessment of the comfortable, cooperative and alertness of the patient. The nurse can obtain the invalid and misleading results when validity is not observed. The assessment tool that can be used is the Montreal Cognitive assessment. The evaluation will focus on the Visual-spatial, naming, memory, language, abstraction and delayed recall state of the patient.
The first diagnostic test will be on the act of spending of time in the discussion of the medical history and collection of the information. The assessment will be on the assessment of the thinking and memory state of the 75-year-old female. An assessment of the general information can increase the ability of evaluating the state of performance for the individual. The state of occupation, age and name will be required to be written for the evaluation purposes. The nurse will be required to assess the symptoms indicated and the medical records insights. The individual will be required to assess the past and present health problems and medication for the individual. The questioning should focus on the evaluation of the different diseases happening within the family. An assessment of the medical history will increase the state of evaluation.
The second test will be on the physical examination and laboratory testing. The MRI scans will help the doctors to assess the state of the patient’s internal organs. The blood pressure, pulse and respiration rate will be required to be assessed in the evaluation of the state of the patient. The blood testing will investigate the state of anemia, infection, electrolyte balance, liver functioning, vitamin B12 deficiency and the assessment of the Thyroid function. The laboratory testing insights will help in the evaluation of the state of the thyroid, kidney and liver conditions. The laboratory should test the urine to investigate the infection. The stature and mass of the patient will have to be assessed. The calculation of the BMI levels will be required in the assessment of the issues affecting the individual.
The third diagnostic testing will be the cognitive testing. The neurological examination will assess the state of injuries or issues affecting the patient’s Neurons, Spinal cord and Brain functioning. The evaluation will be grounded on the assessment of the state of the nervous system. The nurse or doctor will be required to evaluate and measure the state of the patient’s cognitive functions. The functions include the language skills, counting, problem solving, visual-spatial awareness and concentration. The doctor can direct the patient to the neuropsychologist for the aspect of measuring and assessing the cognitive functions. The cognitive, diagnostic test will be vital for the assessment of the diagnosis for dementia.
In conclusion, Montreal Cognitive assessment can be applied in the evaluation of dementia. The cognitive evaluation will assess the moods, depression and issues causing symptoms. The coordination, speech, reflexes, eye movement and sensations can help in the evaluation of the neurological state. A physical examination will assess the state of anemia, infection, electrolyte balance, liver functioning, vitamin B12 deficiency and the assessment of the Thyroid functioning.
Reference
Brown M. (2011). Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease: Diagnostic Testing: What We Know Now: Travis and Francis Publication: Journal on Generations, 35, 2, 125-140
